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Sliced gimbap showing the fillings

Rice

Gimbap

김밥 (gimbap)

Not spicy Level: Medium

The picnic roll. Rice seasoned with sesame oil, not vinegar.

Time
50 min
Serves
4 rolls
Calories
about 400
  • Seaweed sheets for gimbap
  • Cooked rice
  • Sesame oil, salt, sesame seeds
  • +5 more

Let's cook

Follow the steps in order

  1. 1

    Season the rice

    Mix the sesame oil, salt and sesame seeds into warm rice and let it cool a little. Hot rice makes the seaweed wrinkle.

  2. 2

    Prepare the fillings

    Cook the eggs into a thick omelette and cut into long strips. Fry the julienned carrot with salt, blanch the spinach and season with salt and sesame oil. Lightly fry the ham.

  3. 3

    Spread the rice

    Place a seaweed sheet rough side up and spread a thin layer of rice over three quarters of it.

  4. 4

    Roll

    Line up the fillings in the middle of the rice and roll firmly, holding them in place with your fingertips. A few grains of rice on the edge help it seal.

  5. 5

    Slice

    Brush the roll with sesame oil, oil the knife lightly as well, and cut into 1.5 cm slices.

Make it on a day like this

Make it for a picnic or a packed lunch. Roll several at once and you are set for the day.

Ingredients

4 rolls

  • Seaweed sheets for gimbap4 sheetsKorean grocery
  • Cooked rice600 gcooked slightly firmer than usualAny supermarket
  • Sesame oil, salt, sesame seeds1 tbsp, 1/2 tsp, a littleAny supermarket
  • Yellow pickled radish4 stripsKorean grocery
  • Eggs3Any supermarket
  • Carrot1Any supermarket
  • Spinach150 gcucumber also worksAny supermarket
  • Ham or fish cake strips4 stripsKorean grocery
Nutrition
400kcal
Calories
12g
Protein
11g
Fat
60g
Carbs

An estimate per serving, worked out from the ingredient amounts. It changes with the brands and portions you use.

Goes well with
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How Koreans eat it

Gimbap belongs to school picnics, sports days and hiking trips. Most Koreans remember a parent rolling it early in the morning. Today it is the most common quick meal at convenience stores and snack shops, often eaten with tteokbokki or ramyeon.

Tips

  • Too much rice makes the roll burst. Spread it thin enough to almost see the seaweed.
  • Leftovers harden in the fridge. Dip the slices in beaten egg and pan-fry them the next day.

Questions

How is gimbap different from Japanese sushi rolls?

Gimbap rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt instead of vinegar, and the fillings are cooked rather than raw fish.

Can gimbap be made vegetarian?

Yes. Leave out the ham and add pan-fried tofu or braised burdock root.

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